Bihar Election 2025: As Bihar goes to the polls tomorrow, November 6, both the NDA and the INDIA bloc have gone all out to woo voters. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sitting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, every major leader is on the ground, meeting people, shaking hands and making promises – false or not, that time will tell. Their campaigns are everywhere, from rallies to ads on TVs, YouTube feeds, and in newspapers.
With just a few hours left before the EVM buttons are pressed, let us take a look at the ad campaigns on YouTube channels of the major political players – JD(U), BJP, RJD and Congress. We have analysed just one week’s digital ads to see who’s promising what (and you can always come back to this article and check if these promises are merely election “jumlas” or will see the light of the day).
JD(U): “Kaam kiya hai, kaam karenge” pitch
A few hours ago, Janata Dal (United) released a song on its YouTube channel – “Kaam kiya hai, kaam karenge…milkar viksit Bihar banaenge… [We have worked, we will keep working… together we will build a developed Bihar].”
The song is an ode to Nitish Kumar’s two-decade-long leadership and celebrates the “transformation” of Bihar over the years. It highlights the “progress” the state has seen, right from infrastructure to women’s safety to employment to “good governance”. It also promises that Nitish, if voted again to power, will keep working for the betterment of the state. The song is “catchy” and might leave Nitish’s fans listening to it on loop.
Another ad paints a picture of empowered women walking freely on the streets of the state at night. A third video talks about how Bihar is standing on the threshold of a new era, where development is no longer a dream, but a resolve.
In one of the videos, Nitish contrasts his “era of order” with the so-called “jungle raj” of past regimes, taking a jibe at RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. In Nitish’s words, Yadav apparently did nothing to change the face of Bihar and “jungle raj” prevailed. He also talks about what he has done to change the “state” of the state and urged voters to bring back the NDA to keep Bihar growing.
There’s one more song on the channel, and it has everything for the “theatrics” – right from the lyrics that have deep meaning, to the visuals of the people of Bihar, and of course, Nitish, after every other scene, to remind the voters to vote for a “corruption-free” government.
One of the videos attacks Tejashwi Yadav as a “ninth fail” politician, who is making hollow promises like “free electricity for 18 hours”. The video then claims that Nitish is already providing power to farmers at just Rs 0.55 per unit, and how households are getting free 125 units. It then takes a swipe at the governance of his parents (Rabri Devi and Lalu Yadav), claiming that at the time, many homes in Bihar didn’t even have access to electricity.
Yet another song, which will remind you of some of the Bollywood songs, claims that for the development of Bihar, Nitish is tirelessly and relentlessly working, without a pause.
A video posted yesterday frames the election as a simple choice between two “roads”. They are “Jungle Raj” or “Sushasan Raj”.
Another video targets the politics of the “dynasts” and how Nitish ended it and kept integrity at the core of his governance.
BJP: Just press the “right” button
If you scroll through the official YouTube channel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), you’ll find over 30 ads aimed at voters of every demographic – housewives, youth, students, working women, first-time voters and whatnot. And mind you, the same party that once mocked former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s free electricity and water promises – calling it the “revdi culture” – is now touting free electricity, free ration, and pucca homes as poll promises.
The very first video under the playlist “2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly Election” shows two women chatting over a video call. One boasts of receiving Rs 10,000 from the government as funding for her pickle business and mentions the 35 per cent government job reservation for all women in the state. The video ends with both agreeing that NDA is the “best”.
In another video, a woman tells her son that she received a pension. The video also shows the woman’s daughter-in-law struggling to start a fully automatic washing machine. Her husband then tells her that she was pressing the wrong button. The man then says that it’s alright if she presses the wrong button at home, but she should be careful at the EVM.
This is not the only ad urging voters to “press the right button” to ensure the current government’s return to power. The BJP’s YouTube channel is home to lots of them.
The third promises free education for underprivileged students from KG to PG, nutritious breakfast with the midday meals.
In the fourth video, NDA promises more than one crore new employment opportunities to students, 10 industrial parks and a tech city, along with a factory in every district.
The fifth talks about the construction of new expressways and airports. Yet another talks about giving up to 2 lakh assistance to women to start their venture; Rs 10 lakh assistance for businesses for the most backward communities, and Vishwakarma Industrial Park in every block.
Farmers, the ad says, get Rs 9,000 a year; fishermen, double that.
One video shows the bride all decked up in jewellery, with women recalling how, under Lalu’s rule, theft and fear kept them from wearing jewellery. One even narrates how thieves broke into her home and took away all the cash and jewellery with them.
RJD and Congress are not behind in wooing voters. Both parties have rolled out their own songs and ad campaigns, taking sharp aim at the Modi-Nitish government in Bihar.
RJD: “Chalo Bihar, Bihar badlein”
RJD ads are simple. They open with a big photo of Tejashwi, followed by the poll promises and party symbol in the end. Towards the end, they urge voters to press the button against “lalten [lantern]” and vote the INDIA bloc to power.
Their promises include Rs 2,500 to every woman, LPG cylinders at just Rs 500 to battle inflation and a government job for every family in Bihar.
In some of the videos, which are less than 30 seconds, an emotional Tejashwi appeals for “just one chance”, that too, not for 20 years, but for five. If he fails, he says, voters should absolutely oust his government. He also claimed that what the Nitish government couldn’t do in 20 years, he will do in 20 months.
Other videos hit harder and accuse the current government of corruption, broken promises, rising unemployment, and “maha jungle raj”. Some highlight migration, the plight of farmers, paper leaks, and how even in the broad daylight, the government has “failed” to “protect” women.
All the videos end with the slogan – “Chalo Bihar, Bihar badlein [Come on Bihar, let’s transform Bihar].”
One of the videos even highlights the 17-month tenure of Tejashwi as Deputy CM, who, at the time, claimed to have given lakhs of government jobs.
Yet another video talks about how Bihar is still the “same” as it was two decades ago, with people reasoning that the people have kept voting the same faces back.
Congress slams “vote chori ki sarkaar”
Congress, four hours ago, posted a 64-second-long video with the title “Kyon zaruri hai Modi-Nitish ko hatana [Why is it important to remove Modi-Nitish]?” And when one clicks or taps, it reasons that the two – or the double-engine government (the term prevalent in politics) – allegedly run a government born out of “vote chori [vote theft]”.
“Aur vote chori ki sarkaar janta ka kabhi bhi kaam nahi karegi [And a government that came to power by stealing votes will never work for the people],” it claimed, as visuals of Modi and Nitish – both AI-generated and real – appear on the screen.
The ad alleges that the NDA has failed to provide jobs, education, factories, or halt migration, claiming that it would do nothing for the people of Bihar. Instead, it has prioritised corporate allies like Gautam Adani and would continue doing so.
The videos end with a clarion call to remove the present government from the throne and bring in the INDIA bloc.
In yet another video posted today, the INDIA bloc released its election song “Bihar ne thaan liya hai, ab parivartan pakka hai [Bihar has made up its mind, change is certain now].”
The nearly four-minute-long video shows Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav sharing the stage together, riding on bullets during election rallies. The song also vows for the upliftment of the underprivileged.
Both alliances have gone all out – with “groovy” songs and dramatic ads to sway Bihar’s electorate. But as the saying goes, “Janta Janardan hai”, meaning the people are supreme.
It would be interesting to see people’s mandate. Only time will tell if the NDA will keep its “throne” in Patna, or will the winds of “change” finally take over the state?
Having said that, go out and vote. Save the dates – November 6 and November 11.